ASHLAND, Ohio – The No. 14 Grand Valley State Lakers swept the Ashland Eagles Sunday (April 25) with a 4-0 win in game one then a mercy-rule win, 9-1, in five innings in game two. The Lakers improve to 31-7 overall and 22-4 in GLIAC play.
Hannah Beatus (W, 15-2) hurled a one-hit shutout in game one, allowing just a single in the second inning. She struck out 11 and walked two. A walk in the seventh with a pair of errors on the infield loaded the bases for Ashland to get the tying run to the plate, but Beatus stranded the runners and preserved the win.
All four Laker runs came in the third inning.
Joanna Cirrincione doubled home a pair then scored on a
Taylor Rieger double one batter later.
Nikoma Holmen lofted a double of her own into left field to plate Rieger and round out the scoring.
Holmen drove in a run in the first inning of game two as well, but the Eagles answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame. The Lakers broke things open with a seven-spot in the fourth.
Lydia Goble put the Lakers back in front with a solo home run, her fifth of the year, over the left-centerfield fence.
Later in the inning,
Bailey Thatcher tripled home a pair and
Brooke Henning and
Megan Koenigshof each doubled home a run. A wild pitch and a Cirrincione single brought home two more runs as the seven-run inning opened up an 8-1 lead. Thatcher drove in another run in the fifth to put the mercy rule into effect.
Ashley Platek (W, 8-3) pitched all five innings of game two, allowing a run on three hits and a walk while striking out three. The Lakers finished the road portion of their regular season Sunday and will return home for six straight contests to end the year beginning Friday (April 30) in a doubleheader against Purdue Northwest.
